Pecan paprenjaci

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while, since my enthusiasm for festive food got the best of me far before it was acceptable, but the tightness of my jeans indicates it is time.

These little darlings are based on traditional Croatian Christmas biscuits – the inclusion of black pepper sounds a little odd but it gives a subtle warmth to the biscuits, which are similar to gingerbread and have a comforting softness to them.

As I inherited a slight walnut allergy from my mother, along with sturdy thighs and a love of food, I switched out the traditional walnuts in favour of pecans. I also used a tiny squirrel cutter instead of the wooden moulds they’d be made with in Croatia, because the tiny squirrel was too cute to resist.

First up, pop your pecans into a food processor and blast them until as finely chopped as you can get ’em. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.

Pop the flour and butter into the processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and chunks of butter have disappeared. Add the pecans and combine.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture starts to come together.

Tip the mixture out onto a clean surface, press together, and knead until it becomes a smooth ball. Split into two discs, wrap in cling film, and chill for a couple of hours.

When chilled, roll out the dough to about 6mm thick between two layers of greaseproof paper – the dough is sticky but don’t add flour. Heat the oven to 180C and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Bake the biscuits for 10-15 minutes, until the edges just start to turn golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

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The lady behind The Dinner Bell! I'm that person who doesn't let you leave their flat without eating something, and will probably press a parcel of cookies or cake into your hands as you head to the door.
I’m a sub-editor by day, avid book-reader by night, and octopus fan always. I've returned to Norfolk after eight years away, but little bits of my heart still belong to London, where I lived for almost fives years, and Sheffield, where I went to uni and finally lost my bumpkin accent.

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Hello there! I'm Hannah - welcome to The Dinner Bell. This here slice of the internet is dedicated to seasonal eating, particularly in the UK, with info on what to get when and a plethora of recipes to go with it. It's about food for normal people and ingredients you can get easily.

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